Garment



Nov. 18,1941. L. GOl .DSMITH ETAL I 2,263,546

GARMENT Filed June 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 18, 1941. LQGOLDSMITH ETAL' 2,263,545

GARMENT Filed June 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 GARMENT Louis Goldsmith, Philadelphia, and Guido V. Fusaro, Overbrook Hills, Pa assigrmrs to Louis Goldsmith, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., 2. corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 14, 1940, Serial No. 340,430

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a new and improved construction in bifurcated garments providing a superior well-fitting garment of attractive and tailored appearance which permits freedom and ease of movement and which wears well, and which yet can be produced at a rela-- tively low cost.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 represents a front perspective view of a pair of trousers, constituting one illustrative embodiment of the present inventiomshown being worn by a masculine wearer.

Figure 2 represents an enlarged fragmentary view of the upper left front portion of the trousers illustrated in Figure 1, with a pleat portion thereof being drawn aside to reveal an underlying pocket entrance otherwise normally concealed by said pleat.

Figure 3 represents an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the upper left side and rear portions of the trousers illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 represents a much-enlarged horizontal sectional perspective view taken on line 4-4 of the preceding figures, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 represents a horizontal sectional View taken on line 55 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 represents a much-enlarged vertical sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure '7 represents an enlarged plan view looking down at the mouth of a pocket incorporated in the trouser waist-band, such as would be seen for example on line '|'l of Figure 1 or 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 represents a much-enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 88 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The particular embodiment of the present invention selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings for purposes of exemplification comprises a pair of mens trousers. However, it is to be expressly understood that the present invention is not limited to mens trousers, but is, broadly speaking, applicable to all bifurcated outer garments adapted to be worn by either or both sexes, and which generally encase at least the lower trunk portions and thighs of the wearers, as for example in mens and womens slacks, riding breeches, jodhpurs, shorts, play-suits and the like.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, the particular embodiment of the present invention there illustrated will be seen to" comprise a pair of mens trousers having right and left main front-panels l4 and [5, connected together at the crotch-zone l6, and separably overlapped along a fiy-zone ll extending upwardly from said crotch to the waist l8. The side edges of these front-panels are respectively secured at side scams [9 and 20 to main right and left rearpanels 2! and 22, said latter panels being sewn together along a rear seam 23 which extends from the crotch-zone l6 rearwardly and then upwardly along the rear of the garment.

The connected upper portions of these main front andrear panels [4, I5, 21 and 22 continuously encircle the wearers lower trunk portion tubular-wise, and from there downwardly the garment is bifurcated with two thigh-encircling branches diverging, downwardly therefrom. These two diverging branches may be formed in direct continuation of the upper portions of the trousers by sewing together the inner vertical. edges of the right front and rear panels l4 and 2| on the. one hand, and the left front and rear panels I5 and 22 on the other hand, along inner seams 24 extending downwardly from the crotch 16, thereby to form two separate tubular branches respectively adapted to encircle the wearers legs.

A waist-encircling band, indicated generally by the numeral 18, is sewed to the upper edge portions of the main panels [4, 15, 2t and 22. If desired, this waist-band l8 may be made up in two halves, l'8a and IBb, with portion I8a bordering the upper edges of the right panels l4 and 2|, and with portion ['82) bordering the upper edges of the left panels l5 and 22. In the preferred embodiment, the lower portions of the rear ends of these waist-band halves la and I81) meet and are sewed together at a rear juncture point 25 disposed directly above the trouser rear seam 23, as indicated in Figure 3, with the upper portions of the ends of these halves being left unconnected to permit the waist-band halves to yield and adapt or adjust themselves to the wearers contour.

As illustrated in Figure 8, the waistband I8 may include an exposed outer strip of fabric 25, preferably formed of the same material as the main outer panels of the garment, and a juxtaposed inner lining strip 2'], having inturned apper marginal portions sewed together by stitching 28. The lower marginal portion of the outer fabric strip may be sewed to the upper marginal portion of the main trouser panel 22 by the stitching 29. The inner lining strip 21 preferably extends below the lower edge of the outer fabric strip 25, and may have its lower" marginturned upwardly and secured to the juxtaposed upper edge portion of the panel 22 by stitching 33 which extends through all adjacent plies of fabric. A

strip of relatively stiff fabric 3|, of canvas, buck' ram or the like, may be provided intermediate the outer and inner strips 26 and 21, with its edge portions being caught in the lines of stitching 28 and 30, thereby to reinforce the waist-band and to retain its shape and avoid wrinkling or curling. If desired, the inner fabric strip 3| may be preliminarily sewed to the lining strip 21 by stitching 32 to facilitate the construction of the waistband.

If the garment is to be supported by a belt, then a series of belt-receiving loops 33 may be provided at predetermined intervals around the .r

garment, with each loop preferably being located in its entirety below the level of the waist-band I8, so that the latter may extend above and clear of the trouser-supporting belt 34 when the belt is operatively threaded through the loops 33.

If desired, the garment may be supported by suspender-means in lieu of the illustrated belt 34. Thus, the belt-receiving loops maybe replaced or supplemented with anchorage buttons sewed to the garment and adapted to be embraced by the suspender end-loops, or if desired the buttons may be omitted and the suspenders provided with end-Clasps for directly engaging the waist-band I8.

As more particularly illustrated in Figures 1, 2

and 3, the upper portion of each front garment panel I4 and I5 bears a generally vertically extending pleat 35 formed in continuation of the front-crease 36, and a generally parallel but relatively shorter pleat 3'! spaced from the pleat 35 in down by the waist-band stitching 33 which may traverse these pleats, and they may further have the upper end zones of their outer vertical fold lines secured to the underlying body of the garment by relatively short lines of stitching 38 which may also cross the pleat transversely or diagonally, thereby securely to hold these upper portions of pleats in position. It will be noted that these pleats face towards the respectively adjacent sides of the garment, so that access to the innermost depths of pleats 31, for example,- may be had by merely sliding ones hands over the sides of the garment towards the front center thereof.

The inner ply 39 of pleat 3'! may taper off downe wardly to a vanishing point at approximately,

crotch-height, and the inner fold-line of the pleat may be permanently fixed at its lower zone 48 by means of preferably concealed stitching 4!, as

more particularly illustrated in Figures 2 and 5.

Pockets are preferably provided at the front of LII the garment having their entrances concealed under the pleats 31. Thus, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, pocket-pouches 42 are disposed behind the front panels I4 and I5, with their entrances being covered and normally concealed from view by the pleats 31.

Pouch 42 may comprise a fabric panel folded back on itself along a vertical fold-zone 43, and having the marginal portions along its lowermost edge and along its side edge opposite its fold-zone sewed together by stitching 44 and 45 paralleling the edges of the pouch. The upper portion of the pouch 42 may be inserted into the Waist-band I8 between the waist-band lining 2! and outer strip 26, and may be caught by the stitching 3t, thereby to provide support for the pocket-pouch.

The side of the pouch nearest the outer frontpanel I5 is preferably slit generally vertically to provide an access opening for the pouch, and the juxtaposed marginal portions 46 and 47 bordering this vertical slit may be turned backwardly and sewed by lines of stitching 48 and 43 to similarly turned-back marginal portions 56 and SI bordering a corresponding vertical slit in the main panel I5, said latter slit being disposed under the pleat 37 and registering with the slit in the pocket-pouch.

Folded insert edging strips 52 and 53 preferably border the turned-back marginal slit portions 50 and 5| of the panels I5, and define the entrance to the pocket. These edging strips are preferably cut from the same fabric used for the main panel I5, and may be secured to their respective sides of the pocket entrance by the same stitching 48 and 49 which holds the marginal slit portions together. The presence of these folded edging strips 52 and 53 not only provides double thickness of fabric along the edges of the pocket entrance, thereby reinforcing the entrance, but also enhances the appearance of the pocket entrance by providing an attractive piping-effect at the mouth of the pocket, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

The innermost marginal portion of the edging strip 52 may be inturned and secured to the adjacent side panel of the pocket pouch by stitching 54.

The inner fold-line of the entrance-covering pleat 31 is preferably established and defined throughout the zone of the pocket entrance by the line of stitching 48, which may be disposed at the center of said inner fold-line.

If desired, that portion of the innermost side panel of the pocket-pouch which underlies and is in proximity to the pocket entrance may be faced with a strip of fabric 55 cut from the same material from which the main front panels and edging strips are cut, so as not to expose to View material of different color or appearance when the pocket entrance is spread open in use, as when inserting one s hand into the pocket. This facing strip 55 may be secured along one of its vertical edges by stitching 58 which may also extend across the lower edge of the strip, and the strip 55 may be additionally secured by stitching pocket entrances along the side seams ofthe garment causes the garment better to fit the wearer at the sides by eliminating possible gaping of pockets which might otherwiseoccur, particularly when the wearer was sitting.

Furthermore, the concealment of the pocket entrances within the depth of the garment pleats leaves the exposed front expanse of the garment devoid of pocket entrances,therefore further improving the appearance and fit of the garment. In actual use, the presence of objects, or even ones hands, in the pockets 42 will. be much less noticeable visually than with former construction, for the pocket pouches, from the entrances on in, are disposed generally underneath pleated portions of the garment which can yield or give to accommodate themselves to relatively bulky objects in the underlying pockets, and without undue strain or distortion, and without destroying, the tailored well-fitting appearance which characterizes the garment.

The side seam of the garment may be constructed in any desired manner. In, the illustrated embodiment the free vertical edges of the front and rear main garment panels l5 and 22 are first bound by overlooked stitching 58 and 59, and the adjacent vertical marginal portions of these panels are then sewed together by stitching 60. The juxtaposed marginal portions may then be jointly folded towards the main panel I5 and 1 stitched thereto, with the stitching 6i passing through to the outside of the panel I5. As clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the exposed portion of the stitching 6| may comprise a line of spaced individual stitches to create a hand-sewn appearance. In the preferred embodiment these stitches 6| are formed from thread contrasting in color with the garment material, thereby to accentuate their presence.

Rear pockets are also preferably provided on the left and right rear sides of the garment, although if desired, one or both of these pockets may be omitted. Thus, referring more particularly to Figures 3 and 8, a pocket pouch 62, which may comprise a fabric panel folded back on itself along a horizontal fold-zone 63 and marginally sewed together by stitching 64 paralleling the edges of the pouch, may be disposed behind the rear panel 22 and may have its upper portion inserted into the waist-band I8 between the lining strip 2'! and outer strip 26 and secured by the stitching 30.

The side of the pouch 62 nearest the rear panel 22 may be slit horizontally to provide an access opening for the pouch, and the juxtaposed horizontally-extending marginal portions 65 and 66 bordering this slit may be turned-in and embraced by similarly turned-in marginal portions 61 and 68 which border a registering horizontal slit in the main rear panel 22. These marginal portions may then be sewed in position by the lines of stitching 69 and Ill.

A folded edging strip 1|, preferably made from the same material as the main panel 22, borders the turned-in marginal slit portion 68, and defines the lower edge of the pocket entrance. This edging strip H may be secured to the slit margin 68 by concealed stitching 12, and from there the strip H may extend upwardly and then downwardly with its lower margin being turned upwardly and sewed to the pocket pouch 62 by stitching 13. The line of stitching I0 preferably also extends through this edging strip H.

If desired, that portion of the innermost panel of the pouch 62 which might be exposed to view throushthe pocket entrance may be faced with a strip of fabric 141 made of the same material as the rear panel and edging strip. This facing strip 14 may have its lower margin turned in and sewed to the innermost adjacent pouch panel by stitching l5, and may further have its upper portion caught in the. line of stitching 69 which extends through the innermost pouch panel. Relatively short transverse lines of close stitching 1.6 which may also extend through the innermost pouch panel define the end limits of the pocket entrance.

The. foregoing construction at the rear pocket entrance is durable and wear-resistant, and also creates an attractive piping-effect which is in keeping with the appearance of the under-pleat pocket entrances, thereby further enhancing the appearance of the. garment.

Another novel phase of the present invention comprises the. provision of a relatively small 'pocket at the front right side of the garment having its entrance or mouth disposed at the upper edge of the waist-band l8, said pocket being adapted to receive a watch, coins, or other relatively small objects. This phase of the invention is illustrated in Figures 1,. 6 and 7, wherein one of the many manners in which the pocket may be incorporated into the waist-band is clearly shown.

The pouch 16 of this small pocket may comprise a pair of juxtaposed panels I1 and 18 having their marginal portions inturned and secured together by stitching 19. The innermost panel 18 may terminate at a point below the upper limit of the other panel "l1, and may connect with a relatively short piece of fabric made of the same material as the outer waist-band 26. This fabric piece 80 may be sewed to the panel 11 by stitching 8|, and may continue upwardly therefrom to the top of the pouch. The pocket pouch 16 may be inserted in the waist-band I8 between the outer fabric strip 26 and the inner lining strip 21, and may be securely fastened in position by having the upper margin of its panel 71 downturned and sewed to the adjacent downturned upper margin of the outer strip 26 by concealed stitching 82 and exposed stitching 83, and by further having the upper margin of its fabric piece 80 downturned and inserted intermediate the inner reinforcing strip 3| and lining strip 21 and secured by the stitching 84.

The waist-band stitching 30 does not continue across the zone of the pocket pouch 16, in order not to close said pouch. The depending portion of the smaller pocket pouch 16 may overlap the upper portion of the adjacent larger pocket pouch 42, in which case the smaller pouch is preferably disposed intermediate the front panel 14 and the larger pouch 42.

The upper margins of the larger pouch 42 need only be sewed to the waist-band beyond the side edges of the small pocket pouch 16 to afford, in conjunction with the stitching around the mouth or entrance to the pouch 42, sufficient support for said pocket pouch.

The mouth of the pocket 16 lies flush with the upper edge of the waist-band l8, and may be practically invisible, and due to this unusual unexpected location, the presence of the pocket 16 will be unknown to one not familiar with the construction of the garment. In illustrating this small pocket construction, its entrance edges have been slightly spread open or separated in order more clearly to illustrate the constructional details. In actual use, however, these entrance edges will lie closely together and will appear to constitute an ordinary portion'of the Waist-band proper.

The disposition of the belt-receiving loops 33 below the level of the waist-band I'B insures unobstructed access to the pocket 16 without interference from the supporting-belt 3% Thus, ones fingers may be readily inserted into the mouth of the pocket 16 without having to avoid, or push aside or fumble with the belt 34. Furthermore, the belt 34 when operatively threaded through the loops 33 will cover the upper end-zones of the pleats 35 and 31 at which pointsthe pleats are sewed-down, whereby the pleats will vanish under the belt to create a pleasing visual effect.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing 'description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is hereby claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An outer garment adapted toencase a wearers lower trunk portion including an outer panel bearing at least one vertically-extending pleat, a vertical slit in said outer panel overlapped by said pleat, a pocket pouch secured underneath said outer panel and having a vertical slit in the side of the pouch nearest said outer panel, said pouch slit registering with said panel slit and forming therewith an entrance to the pocket, marginal portions bordering the opposite sides of the panel slit being folded-back away from said entrance and embracing underlying marginal portions bordering said pouch slit, lines of stitching paralleling theopposite edges of said pocket entrance and respectively securing said marginal portion together, and juxtaposed folded edging strips made of the same material as the outer panel sewed to the folded-back marginal portionson opposite sides of said pocket entrance, said edging strips each projecting for a relatively substantial distance beyond its respectively associated marginal portion and terminating in relatively close proximity to each other, thereby substantially to close the pocket entrance covered by said pleat.

LOUIS GOLDSMITH. GUIDO V. FUSARO. 

